Magnetic latch assembly



Oct. 3, 1967 c, J PADGETT I 3,345,102

MAGNETI C LATCH AS SEMBLY Filed July 1, 1966 INVENTOR. COOPER 3'. PADGETT H \S ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,345,102 MAGNETIC LATCH ASSEMBLY Cooper J. Padgett, Louisville, Ky., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed July 1, 1966, Ser. No. 562,235 4 Claims. (Cl. 292251.5)

The present invention relates to a magnetic latch assembly and is more particularly concerned with an improved magnetic latch assembly for refrigerators and the like including a sealing gasket for sealing the space between the cabinet member and the door member.

Present day refrigerators of the type including a sealing gasket normally carried by the door member and adapted to be brought into sealing engagement with the face of the cabinet member when the door is closed and a magnetic latch for holding the door in a closed position, normally require some means for adjusting the latching or holding force of the magnetic latch in order to establish a balance between the force available for sealing the gasket and the force required to open the closed or latched door.

A general object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic latch for refrigerator doors or the like which is of low cost and simple construction and which is particularly characterized by the fact that the means for mounting the latch on a supporting cabinet or door surface also provides means for adjusting the position of the magnetic component thereof relative to that surface.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

- In accordance with the illustrated embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a magnetic latch assembly for holding a door member in a closed position relative to the cabinet member comprising a molded plastic base including a mounting means formed integrally with the base and comprising a longitudinally apertured laterally yieldable anchoring means which projects from the bottom'surface of the base and is adapted for snapin insertion into a cooperating aperture in the door member for temporarily securing the base to that member. The magnetic latching component of the assembly is adjustably secured to the base by means including a passage extending through the magnetic component and adapted to register with the longitudinal aperture in the anchoring means and a fastening means, preferably a screw means, extending through this passage and adapted upon partial insertion into the longitudinal aperture in the anchoring means to secure the magnetic component to the base as a sub-assembly for subsequent mounting on the cabinet member. After such mounting, further insertion of the fastening means into the longitudinal aperture causes a lateral expansion of the anchoring means to rigidly secure the base to the door member while also providing means for limited adjustment of the magnetic means relative to the cabinet.

For a more detailed description of the invention reference may be had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a horizontal fragmentary view of a refrigerator cabinet incorporating one embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken generally along line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view of a portion of the latch shown in FIGURE 2 illustrating the position of the components thereof in a pre-assembly state; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

3,345,102 Patented Oct. 3, 1967 With reference to FIGURE 1 of the drawing there is shown a portion of a refrigerator including a cabinet 1 comprising an outer shell 2 and a liner 3 defining a storage compartment 4 within the cabinet. The access opening to the storage compartment is closed by an insulated door 5 including an outer panel 6 having an inwardly turned flange 7 about the periphery thereof which is substantially coextensive with an inwardly turned flange 8 provided on the front of the shell 2 surrounding the access opening to the storage compartment 4. A resilient or compressible sealing gasket 9 is suitably secured to the door flange 7 and extends about the entire periphery of the door for sealing engagement with the inner edge of the cabinet flange 8. The door is suitably hinged along one vertical edge to the cabinet and is maintained in the closed position by means including the magnetic latch assembly of the present invention provided on the illustrated opposite or free edge of the door.

The embodiment of the magnetic latch assembly illustrated in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing includes a molded plastic base member 10 including a flat base portion 11 adapted to engage the surface of the door flange 7. The base member 10 includes upwardly extending appearance end and side walls 12, the fourth side opposite the gasket 9 being open.

Means for securing the latch assembly to the flange 7 includes mounting means generally indicated by the numeral 14 integrally formed with and projecting from the base member and adapted to snap into aperture 15 provided in the flange 7. In the illustrated embodiments of the invention, two of the mounting means 14 are provided, one adjacent each end of the base member 10.

The mounting means, which are adapted after being snapped into the apertures 15 to temporarily hold the latch assembly on the flange 7 during the manufacture of the refrigerator cabinet, each comprises longitudinally apertured, laterally yieldable anchoring means designed for snap-in insertion into an aperture 15. More specifically, the anchoring means includes at least two spaced flexible leg portions 18 separated by the longitudinal slit 19 with each of the leg portions including a slanting or enlarged shoulder area 20. By this design, the resilient legs 18 flex for passage of the shoulder areas 20 through an aperture 15 and will thereafter return to their original positions whereby the shoulders serve to retain the base member on the cabinet flange. The illustrated anchoring means is of a rectangular cross section but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. For example, the anchoring means may be of circular cross section as shown in Patent 2,402,287--Kearns, issued June 18, 1946.

The latch assembly further includes a magnetic component including, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG- URES 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing, a magnet 26 magnetically held to the rear surface of a metal cover plate 28 having end portions 29 extending beyond each end of the magnet 26. Each of the end portions 29 is provided with a screw receiving aperture or passage 30. A screw 31 is adapted to be inserted through each aperture 30 and into a longitudinal aperture 33 in the mounting means. In preassembling the latch components, screw 31 is only partially screwed into aperture 33, that is, it is threaded into aperture 33 as shown in FIGURE 3 a distance suflicient to engage the anchoring means but short of the point at which it will tend to spread legs 18. Spring means such as the spring leaves 34 formed of and integral with the base member 10 serve to bias the magnet component including plate 28 into engagement with the heads of screws 31.

This pre-assembly is then ready to be mounted on the cabinet. As the anchoring means are inserted into the square apertures 15, contact of the sloping shoulder areas 20 with the edges of the apertures causes legs 18 to flex inwardly. After insertion, legs 18 return to their normal configuration and temporarily secure the latch to the flange 8.

Screws 31 are then driven into the anchoring means until the plate 29 as shown in FIGURE 2 engages stops 35 forming part of the base member 10. The forward end portions 36 of the screws expand the anchoring means so that sloping shoulders 20 rigidly anchor the latch to the flange.

Stops 35 are designed to provide maximum compression of the gasket 9. To lower the compressive force, screws 31 are backed off a suitable distance.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 4, spring means 34 is eliminated and adjustment of the position of the magnetic component is provided by employing screws 40 having collar portions 41 enclosed in recesses 42 between the end portions of the backing plate 43 and the cover or housing 44, the plate 43 and housing 44 being suitably secured together as by means of an adhesive along their mating peripheral edges. By means of collar portions 41 retained in the recesses 42, rotation of the screws 40 after assembly of the latch on the flange 7, adjusts the portion of the magnet component relative to the flange 7.

While the invention has been specifically described with reference to various embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that it is not limited thereto and it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A magnetic latch assembly for holding a door member in closed position relative to a cabinet member comprising:

a molded plastic base including a mounting means formed integrally with said base,

said mounting means comprising a longitudinally apertured laterally yieldable anchoring means projecting from the bottom surface of said base and adapted for snap-in insertion into an aperture in one of said members for temporarily securing said base to said member,

a magnetic component having a passage therein adapted to register with the longitudinal aperture in said anchoring means,

fastening means extending through said passage and adapted upon partial insertion into the longitudinal aperture in said anchoring means to secure said magnetic component to said base prior to the assembly thereof to said one of said members and upon further insertion into said aperture after snap-in insertion of said anchoring means into said aperture to laterally expand said anchoring means and rigidly secure said base to said one of said members.

2. The assembly of claim 1 in which said fastening means includes a head portion and said base includes an integral spring means biasing said magnetic component into engagement with said head portion.

3. The assembly of claim 1 in which said fastening means comprises a screw means for adjusting the position of said magnetic component relative to said one of said members.

4. A magnetic latch assembly for holding a door having a sealing gasket thereon in sealing position relative to a cabinet comprising:

a molded plastic base including a mounting means formed integrally with said base,

said mounting means comprising a longitudinally apertured laterally yieldable anchoring means projecting from the bottom surface of said base and adapted for snap-in insertion into an aperture in said door for temporarily securing said base to said door,

a magnetic component having a passage therein adapted to register with the longitudinal aperture in said anchoring means,

screw means extending through said passage and adapted upon partial insertion into the longitudinal aperture in said anchoring means to secure said magnetic component to said base prior to the assembly thereof to said door and upon further insertion into said aperture after snap-in insertion of said anchoring means into said aperture to laterally expand said anchoring means and rigidly secure said base to said door,

said screw means also providing means for adjusting the position of said magnetic component relative to said door.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,788,047 4/ 1957 Rapata 80 2,867,467 1/1959 Foley 292-2515 2,904,364 9/ 1959 Korodi 292-2515 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

E. J. MCCARTHY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A MAGNETIC LATCH ASSEMBLY FOR HOLDING A DOOR MEMBER IN CLOSED POSITION RELATIVE TO A CABINET MEMBER COMPRISING: A MOLDED PLASTIC BASE INCLUDING A MOUNTING MEANS FORMED INTEGRALLY WITH SAID BASE, SAID MOUNTING MEANS COMPRISING A LONGITUDINALLY APERTURED LATERALLY YIELDABLE ANCHORING MEANS PROJECTING FROM THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF SAID BASE AND ADAPTED FOR SNAP-IN INSERTION INTO AN APERTURE IN ONE OF SAID MEMBERS FOR TEMPORARILY SECURING SAID BASE TO SAID MEMBER, A MAGNETIC COMPONENT HAVING A PASSAGE THEREIN ADAPTED TO REGISTER WITH THE LONGITUDINAL APERTURE IN SAID ANCHORING MEANS, FASTENING MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID PASSAGE AND ADAPTED UPON PARTIAL INSERTION INTO THE LONGITUDINAL APERTURE IN SAID ANCHORING MEANS TO SECURE SAID MAGNETIC COMPONENT TO SAID BASE PRIOR TO THE ASSEMBLY THEREOF TO SAID ONE OF SAID MEMBERS AND UPON FURTHER INSERTION INTO SAID APERTURE AFTER SNAP-IN INSERTION OF SAID ANCHORING MEANS INTO SAID APERTURE TO LATERALLY EXPAND SAID ANCHORING MEANS AND RIGIDLY SECURE SAID BASE TO SAID ONE OF SAID MEMBERS. 